Kuroi Romance
by ikuto-sama
Summary: A year has passed, and Hibiki, Takane, and Miki are happy working for 765 Productions-but what happens when their successors at 961 Productions, Project Jupiter, enter the picture? WARNING: iM@S-SHIPPING! ToumaxMiki leanings. Please R&R!
1. Chapter 1

THE IDOLMASTER 2: Kuroi Romance – CHAPTER 1 -

By Ikuto-sama

It had been a normal day for Miki Hoshii, Takane Shijou, and Hibiki Ganaha at 765 Productions. A year had already passed by since they had been fired from 961 Productions and their group, Project Fairy, had been dispersed. Being fired was actually the best thing that could have happened to them—the atmosphere at 765 Productions was much more relaxed and accepting, and all of the idols had welcomed them with open arms. The Producer had given them the day off today, and they were all hanging out at Hibiki's apartment.

"Hey, Miki-chan, you've gotta see this!" Hibiki called from the living room. "You too, Takane-chan! Quickly!"

"But we're right in the middle of making dinner," Miki whined. To the others, it wasn't quite dinner—Miki had insisted on making onigiri.

"Hurry!" Hibiki sounded desperate. Takane had already abandoned shaping her onigiri and was in the other room.

"Fine, Miki will come and look too," Miki sighed. When she walked in and saw what was on the TV, her mouth fell open.

**"961 PRODUCTIONS: PROJECT JUPITER" **was displayed on the screen. She could hear a familiar voice—It was Kuroi-Shachou. But he wasn't their boss anymore. Just Kuroi.

"Unlike those nobodies at that worthless agency 765 Productions, my idols shall overwhelm you with their performance!" Miki could hear him cackle. Three boys appeared on the stage.

"These people are our…successors?" Miki gasped.

"It looks like it," Hibiki said.

"They're—they're—"

"Boys," Takane finished.

"Miki was going to say that!" Miki cried.

The boys began the routine to their debut song, "Alice or Guilty." Their names and ages flashed on screen, one at a time. The brown-haired, serious-looking boy: Touma Amagase, age 17. The handsome, blonde-haired boy: Hokuto Ijuuin, age 20. And lastly, a young-looking, olive-haired, energetic boy: Shouta Mitarai, age 14.

_"The lies just keep on spilling out, until precious moments can be defined by them… This city is a warped labyrinth…And in it I lose you...my Alice…"_

"They're actually pretty good…" Takane breathed. "These guys…will be our rivals…"

All Miki could do was gaze at the screen. She was enraptured by the boy in the middle, Touma…his voice stood out from all the others, and although he wasn't there in person, Miki could feel a certain aura radiating from him. Butterflies exploded in her stomach.

"Our time at 961 is all in the past, though. We're at a higher level," Hibiki said, shrugging. "Soon enough, I'm sure, they'll get sick of Kuroi's abuse and leave too. Just like us. By the way, where's Hamuzou?"

Miki got up and went to the door to get her shoes and coat. She had to go over to 961 Productions and see if these guys were for real.

"Hey Miki, where are you going?" Hibiki asked.

"You haven't finished making your onigiri," Takane added.

"Miki is going to 961 Productions. Miki feels…intrigued," Miki said.

"That's a crazy idea! Why go there? You might end up seeing Kuroi again! Besides, will they even let you in?" Hibiki exclaimed.

"Maybe Miki will find some useful information about Project Jupiter so we can beat them in the Idol Ultimate when the time comes," Miki said, flicking her hand away in a pistol shape. "Don't worry, Miki won't be long. See ya!"

Miki was half-telling the truth. That wasn't the full reason. Sure, she could get some information, if possible, about Project Jupiter while she was there, but she was really going because she wanted to see _Touma_. She didn't know why, but something deep down kept telling her that she had to go.

_Maybe he'll turn out to be a nice person, _Miki thought. _Or maybe it's because Miki—likes Touma? Even though Miki hasn't met him? Like love at first sight? _

She quickly kicked the thought from her head. _No, _Miki thought, sighing. _The only one Miki likes is Producer-san. Honey. Honey, and that's it._

"State your name and business," the clerk sitting at the desk in the 961 Productions lobby said, her tone slightly intimidating. Miki jumped. She was so used to the clerk at 765, Ms. Kotori—she was much more kind and patient.

"Um, Miki Hoshii. I am here to see…Project Jupiter," Miki said nervously, trying to sound more formal.

"Ah, I thought you looked familiar," the clerk said, smiling. "So you moved on to 765, huh?"

Miki nodded. "Y—yes. I—it was strictly a business decision," she stammered.

"Shachou probably wouldn't want you here, but I'll allow you to go see them. They're upstairs. You can't miss them," the clerk said.

"Thank you," Miki sighed in relief, bowing, and made a beeline for the stairs. Her heart was beating like a racehorse, and she could feel herself starting to sweat.

_Come on, you're an idol, she_ thought. _You can't get nervous from something like this. You're only meeting other idols, right?_

Miki was almost to the top. She could see in the room one head of blonde-hair—probably Hokuto. If he was in there the others would be as well. Just as she was about to enter, her foot caught on the last step and she tripped.

"Wuuaaah!" Miki found herself in the arms of who else _but_ Touma? She gasped, immediately jumping out of his arms. She could feel her face turn red.

_Miki is NOT Haruka-chan! _she thought angrily. _How could Miki make herself look so…so stupid?_

"Well, look what we have here. You've decided to come back, hmm? Want to be rehired? I'm sorry, but I have no use for you anymore, Miki-chan," Kuroi sneered. "Or perhaps you've come to admire my new idols?"

"K—Kuroi-Shachou! I mean—Kuroi-san…" Now that Miki was there, she wasn't sure what to say. She stared up at Touma, Hokuto, and Shouta, as if she was expecting them to say something.

"Miki came to—well, you see, Miki wanted to see Project Jupiter for herself…" she trailed off.

Touma looked at Miki quizzically. "Miki Hoshii, from the failed Project Fairy. All of Project Fairy decided to join 765," he spat. "What a poor excuse for a production company. There's no way you guys will win this time."

"Be a little nice, Touma-kun—she's actually kind of cute," Hokuto said, smirking. He came close, touching Miki's cheek. "It's okay. He's just super-competitive that way. He's actually into pretty innocent things, such as playing soccer and collecting figures and—"  
"Shut up," Touma snapped.

"He also likes to cook," Shouta laughed.

"You two just wait. One of these days I'll—"

"Quiet, you imbeciles!" Kuroi shouted. "Or rather, I mean the _future _of 961 Productions. I'll just leave you all together. Give the girl an autograph and then she can leave. As for _me_, I've got better things to do." He laughed, and strode out of the room.

_Soccer, figures and cooking? _Miki thought. _Him?_

"Here you go, um, Hoshii-san," Touma said, handing Miki a picture of the whole group and all of their autographs. "We have lessons to attend, so you need to leave."

"Ah….um, okay…" Miki realized that she really didn't need to be there. She put the picture in her coat pocket. "I guess…it was nice meeting you…"

"Be careful out there, okay? Don't trip over stairs," Touma laughed. "Next time I won't be there to catch you."

Miki's heart fluttered. She waved goodbye and fled the room. _He's kind of mean, but he has a soft side underneath, _Miki thought. She looked at the picture. Hokuto had written his phone number, along with Touma's and Shouta's, on the picture next to their signatures.

_When Miki gets the courage, Miki will call him, _she thought, hugging the picture to her chest. She would see Touma at the next Idol Ultimate for sure.

Meanwhile, up in the 961 Productions building, Project Jupiter was practicing their routine. During a break, Hokuto took Touma aside.

"Hey, Touma-kun, I really think you and that Miki girl would make a good couple," Hokuto said. "I think…you should ask her out."

~KUROI ROMANCE – CHAPTER 1 – END~

© 2010 Ikuto-sama


	2. Chapter 2

-Kuroi Romance Chapter 2-

"Good evening, Shachou," Producer-san said, bowing courteously.

"'Evening, Shachou," Miki sighed, slumping into a soft leather armchair. It had been a long, hard day for all of the idols at 765 Productions. Shachou had asked for all of the idols to be at the studio by 7 in the morning, ready to start. The Producer had been hustling and bustling, moving the idols everywhere from multiple promotions to lessons to the stylist's. Even Ritsuko had to step in a few times to help out, although she mainly worked with Ami, Iori, and Azusa. Miki herself had gone from the stylist's to a short live at the mall to an autograph signing at a CD store to a dance lesson, and now she was back at the production company for a meeting with Shachou. She hadn't seen any of the other idols all day. Today had been the polar opposite of 765's typical take-it-easy attitude…almost like how it had been at 961.

"Miki-chan, stand up and bow. That's not polite," Producer-san scolded, looking down scornfully at Miki. Miki sighed and slowly got up. She knew he was just as haired out as all the other idols were and probably wanted to sit down too. Just then, Haruka and Chihaya burst in.

"Sorry we're late, Producer-san, Shachouuuuuuuuu!" Haruka exclaimed, tripping and landing on her face with a loud _thump. _"Owwie…"

"Ah, Haruka-chan, be careful!" Producer-san gasped, immediately extending a hand to help Haruka up. Miki and Chihaya rolled their eyes and bowed to Shachou. They were used to Haruka's usual entrance.

"We apologize for our disruptive intrusion, Producer-san, Shachou," Chihaya said in her typical formal manner, taking a seat.

"Chihaya-ch—" Producer-san tried to say, but Shachou, reading his mind, immediately interrupted him.

"Leave them be. They're tired. Haruka-kun, Miki-kun, Chihaya-kun, sit down. There's no need for such formalities right now," Shachou said firmly. All of the idols took their seats, but Producer-san remained standing.

"What does Shachou want with us anyways? Miki is tired," Miki yawned. "You should sit down too, Honey." At this, Producer-san finally sank into the last remaining chair, and Miki smiled.

Shachou cleared his throat. "I'm sure you've all heard of Takao Kuroi's new group, Project Jupiter. Your new rivals," he said, looking at Miki. His stare made her feel uncomfortable, and she immediately switched her gaze down to the floor.

_Rivals…Miki and Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan used to be under Kuroi-Shachou—or rather, Kuroi-san now…did they used to have meetings like this on how to defeat Project Fairy? _Miki thought, feeling slightly ashamed. Although it had already been a year since she had quit 961 Productions and she was 100% pro-765, she still felt some guilt challenging her old agency. Although she had gotten her start at 765 then moved to 961 and back again, she had become more famous and talented as an idol through 961 Productions, so she did owe some credit to them. But now, she was trying to bring them down…

"They're…boys, right?" Haruka asked, her famous "nonowa" expression on her face.

"Yes," Shachou said. "They're a 3-idol unit, but all because they're boys doesn't mean that they're any less competition. If anything, they're a _huge_ threat to us, since they appeal to the female fanbase which still makes up the majority of our fans. You'll be facing them in the next Idol Ultimate, and if you lose to them, it's _over_."

"How so…_over_?" Chihaya asked.

"You'll be…fired," Producer-san said, his voice cracking slightly. He didn't like the idea either—he loved each and every one of his girls. "We can't have idols that can't keep up with our rivals. As much as you're all beautiful, incredibly talented girls, it's simply the way business works. The way the _world _works."

"I see…" Chihaya trailed off. She had turned pale as if she had seen a ghost. Haruka burst into tears.

_Miki knows how important Chihaya-chan's dreams are to her, _Miki thought sadly. _And what about Haruka-chan? And Takane-chan? And Hibiki-chan? And all of the others…we can't let them down. Miki can't let them down…Miki must say something…_

"W—would y—you hire…new idols? _Male _idols?" Haruka sobbed. Producer-san and Chihaya ran over to comfort her. Miki sat still, in shock. She felt numb. _Say something, _she thought.

"No, for the production company would end right there," Shachou said. "As you all know, our budget is like a rollercoaster, and sometimes it costs as much to find new idols as to produce a current one."

"Miki—Miki knows…Project Jupiter," Miki finally managed to say. "Miki went to the 961 Productions building the other day. Miki knows she didn't get permission from Honey or Shachou, but Miki had to see for herself…"

"What?" Producer-san and Shachou shouted at the same time.

"Are you crazy? You could have gotten hurt!" Producer-san yelled.

"Or worse, decided to transfer _again_," Shachou added harshly.

Miki flinched. She didn't expect them to be _an_g_ry _about it. Curiosity was perfectly legal, and there were no rules or laws stating that she couldn't go back to her old place of employment.

"But Miki…went for information," Miki said softly. _And to see…Touma-kun, _she thought, blushing slightly. "Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan told Miki not to go, but Miki still went. Miki is sorry. All Miki saw there was that they were taking lessons, anyways. And stupid old Kuroi-san said that he'll defeat us this time."

"You endangered yourself and the status of 765. If something had happened, we could have gotten some bad publicity," Producer-san chided. "_Never _do that _ever _again."

"Wait, there could be some worth in her findings," Shachou said. "Miki-kun, how were the boys like?"

Miki wanted to say that the blonde, Hokuto Ijuuin, was kind of a flirt and full of himself, and that the olive-haired one, Shouta Mitarai, was a little childish and cocky, and that the brunette, Touma Amagase, was cold, over-competitive, and yet…_amazing._ But instead…

"Interesting," Miki yawned, apathetic.

Shachou frowned, and Producer-san shook his head. But they couldn't get angry—this was the typical take-it-easy Miki.

"Are you sure, Miki-kun?" Shachou asked, raising an eyebrow. "Were they…kind? Rude? Mediocre? Talented? Help us out here, Miki-kun. This information is _crucial_ to our survival as a production company."

"No. They were just…interesting, is all," Miki said, shrugging. "Can Miki go home now?"

"Whatever you say, Miki-chan," Producer-san sighed, shaking his head. "I suppose it is getting late now, and I should let you all go. You are dismissed." None of the idols moved.

"You are all dismissed. Have a good night," Shachou grunted.

_"Miki, you don't need to work. We have plenty of money. You're set for life; just take it easy." _Miki's mother's words echoed in her head. _Miki doesn't have to be an idol. Really, Miki is an idol just for fun. But what about the others? They have aspirations, dreams. Shachou, Ms. Kotori, Honey…they'll lose their jobs if Miki fails. Dreams crushed. Miki wouldn't wish that on anyone…_

"Wait," Miki said just as Chihaya and Haruka got up to leave. "Miki…has an idea. Miki can give you all information on how 961 Productions works. Hibiki-chan and Takane-chan can, too. Then we can defeat Project Jupiter and everyone can keep their jobs."

"Miki-chan…" Producer-san paused for a moment, thinking hard as if he had forgotten something important. "Oh yes. What Miki-chan proposed was exactly what I was thinking. That is why I am choosing Miki-chan to compete in the next Idol Ultimate."

Everyone gasped. Miki's eyes opened wide in surprise. Even Haruka was in shock, for she was almost _always _chosen to represent 765 in the Idol Ultimates.

"I thought you said _I_ would be competing at the next Idol Ultimate," Chihaya said, a hint of anger in her voice. "I know it's always between Haruka-chan, Miki-chan, and I, and I don't have any right to complain, but I believe I can take on Project Jupiter."

"I'm sorry that I had to change so unexpectedly, Chihaya-chan. That's why I called you all here. I really hope you don't mind, but after the unveiling of Project Jupiter, we decided Miki-chan would be a better choice to compete against them," Producer-san said. "She knows how 961 works first-hand, and currently her album sales are one of the highest in the production company. Haruka-chan, Chihaya-chan, I don't doubt your capability to compete against Project Jupiter, but Miki-chan is clearly the best choice."

Chihaya shot Miki a slightly-poisonous glance, then said, "I understand." Miki felt horribly guilty.

"Ch—Chihaya-chan has higher album sales than Miki, and is more talented. Miki thinks she'd be fine," Miki said. "And what about Takane-chan or Hibiki-chan? They're good idols and are from 961, too. Miki doesn't deserve to compete in such an important competition…"

"Miki," Producer-san said firmly, in a tone that told Miki not to ask any more questions. There was no more formality; he had dropped the honorific.

"Although Miki-kun will be the one competing, everyone needs to increase their effort if we are to defeat 961 Productions again," Shachou said. "I will tell all of the other idols as well. Each day until the Idol Ultimate, we will be running a schedule similar to that of today's." The idols nodded, although Miki knew none of them were fans of the idea. _She_ certainly didn't want to get up at 5 in the morning every day for the next week.

"You are all dismissed," Producer-san said. "Thank you so much for understanding."

Chihaya, Haruka, and Miki bowed to Producer-san then to Shachou, and exited the room.

"Good luck, Miki-chan!" Haruka said, back to her cheerful self. "We're cheering for you."

"Chihaya-chan, I'm sorry about everything," Miki said. "I didn't want to, but—"

"It's totally cool," Chihaya said, waving her hand. "It's for the good of the company. I don't hold anything against you. Good luck!"

"Thanks, guys. See ya!" Miki said, flicking her hand away in her signature pistol shape. As she exited the 765 building and the door shut behind her, she finally realized the task she had taken on didn't involve just her, but everyone.

_Miki…must face Touma-kun in the Idol Ultimate, _she thought sadly. _Miki can't have love—maybe it's not love yet, but eventually it might be—get in the way. Everyone's depending on Miki…wait—Miki has a great idea!_

She pulled out her cell phone and texted Takane and Hibiki. _Meet Miki down by the 961 building. Miki needs your help! – Miki :3_

Miki stood in a dark alley outside of the 961 Productions building, trying to remain inconspicuous. The windows of the building were dark since everyone had gone home for the night, but occasionally a small moving beacon of light would pass by the windows, likely a security guard on duty. It was a cold, rainy, and windy night, and Miki wasn't dressed for the weather whatsoever. All she had on was an orange plaid flannel top and jeans, and she'd thrown on her lime green warm-up jacket for an extra layer. She awkwardly held on to her white umbrella that said "765 Productions" in huge block letters, a gift she had received from Producer-san when she had first joined the agency, while hugging herself to keep warm. Her breaths came out in puffy white clouds that were immediately beaten down by the rain. Miki giggled. It reminded her of a dragon, puffing out smoke.

Suddenly, Miki could hear a hard _thump, thump, thump_ coming from the direction of the sidewalk, as if someone was running.The _thumps_ were getting louder and louder, and she saw a dim light that slowly became brighter and brighter. It wasn't a car, it was a _person_.

_Did the security guard see Miki down here, and has come to get Miki? _Miki though frantically as she tensed up against the wall, even though the wall was cold and slightly slimy, and held her breath. _Or maybe a bad person is coming, and they'll hurt Miki! They can't find Miki!_

Miki felt something warm brush against her legs and let out a small scream. She immediately recognized her mistake and clasped her hand around her mouth, but the light and the footsteps had already rounded the corner and were coming straight at her.

"Nekokichiiiiiiiiiiii!" a familiar voice called. "Are you there, Nekokichi?"

"I think you just scared Miki-san," another familiar voice replied.

"Wait…Nekokichi? Takane-chan, Hibiki-chan, is that you?" Miki asked, her eyes widening in silent realization. She looked down and saw a bundle of black fur purring at her feet. Hibiki shined the light up in her face and then Takane's, proving that it was really them.

"Thank you for catching him, Miki-chan," Hibiki said gratefully. "He followed me all the way to Takane-chan's house, then took off and found you here. Can you believe it? What a smart cat, huh?"

"Yeah," Miki laughed, picking up Nekokichi and cuddling him in her arms.

"What did you need us for, Miki-san?" Takane asked quizzically. "It's a bit late…and in an interesting meeting place…"

"You see…Miki had a meeting with Honey and Shachou today," Miki said. "Haruka-chan and Chihaya-chan were there too. And Producer-san wants Miki to defeat Project Jupiter in the Idol Ultimate, or else 765 will have to dissolve. But Miki doesn't think she can do it alone…and that's why Miki asked you to meet Miki here."

"I see. I suppose it makes sense, considering you used to work for 961 Productions, so you know how Kuroi-san works. We do too…" Takane said wistfully.

"But in an Idol Ultimate, only one of us can compete, right? So what do you need _us_ for?" Hibiki asked.

"Project Jupiter is a group too," Miki said. "Miki doesn't know if Miki will be competing against one of them, or all of them…so Miki thought that Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan could…"

"Do what?" Hibiki asked.

"Miki thinks it might be better than Honey or Shachou's plan," Miki said. "But Miki's not sure if it's a bad idea or not, so Miki wanted to see what Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan would think."

"Wait—Miki-san, are you saying that you want to…" Takane said, trailing off, knowing what would come next.

"Miki…thinks we should reform Project Fairy," Miki said slowly.

Takane and Hibiki gasped. "But—that's all in the past!" Hibiki exclaimed. "We're part of 765 now. We can't possibly do that! It's almost like…_betraying_ 765!"

"We'd be taking on our old songs and our old name. What would Kuroi-san think?" Takane asked. "I like it at 765 Productions. I'm not sure going back to the past would be the best idea…"

"Miki doesn't mean that we'd be going back to 961," Miki said. "Miki thinks we could be Project Fairy, but be 765's Project Fairy. That way, we can defeat Project Jupiter."

"I don't know…" Hibiki said. "What would Shachou and Producer-san think?"

"It could go either way," Takane said. "We were pretty popular when we were Project Fairy, and the 765 idols, _not_ to say that they weren't as _good_ as us, but they had a hard time bringing us down. Would the results be the same pitting an all-girl's idol unit against an all-boy's idol unit?"

"Miki thinks we could do it. And I'm sure Nekokichi thinks so too," Miki laughed. "Isn't that right, Nekokichi?" Nekokichi meowed in agreement.

"Well, I suppose we could try," Hibiki said, shrugging. "We've got nothing to lose."

"And we're always here to support Miki-san," Takane added.  
"Thanks, guys," Miki said graciously. She was about to put Nekokichi down when her phone rang.

"_Honno sasai na kotoba ni kizutsuita—__Dakedo amaimono tabete shiawase yo—__" _Takane and Hibiki giggled at her ringtone as Miki dug into her pocket and took her phone out. The phone displayed an unfamiliar number.

"Miki here!" Miki greeted. "Who is this?"

"Ah, Hoshii-san, I'm glad I have the right number," a familiar deep voice said. "I was wondering…well you see, I have a break at noon tomorrow, and I was wondering if I could take you out to lunch."

"T—Touma-ku—Miki means, Amagase-san, is that you?" Miki asked, suddenly feeling light-headed as her heart began to race.

"Just call me Touma," Touma said. "I know I was a little…ah, rude to you the other day, but I was just wondering if you were free."

"A date?" Miki blurted, her face turning red.

"No!" Touma exclaimed, flustered. "I was just—it's just as an apology. That's all. I don't like you, okay? Don't get that stupid idea locked into your head. We're _rivals_. And tomorrow, try not to talk in that ridiculous third-person thing you always do. Anyways, I'll meet you at the café by 765 at 12 noon."

"12 noon," Miki repeated.

"See if you can get away from your ridiculous 765 friends by lunchtime," Touma spat. "Anyways, bye."

"Bye…Touma-kun," Miki said softly. She heard the _click _of him hanging up.

"Argh! Miki thinks he's so wonderful! Yet, he's so…_awful_!" Miki cried.

"Who?" Hibiki asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Were you talking to a boy, Miki-san?" Takane asked.

Miki's face turned even redder. "No!" she gasped. She had forgotten that Takane and Hibiki were even there. "It—it was only Miki's cousin! That's all!"

"Whatever you say, Miki-chan," Hibiki said, rolling her eyes. "Anyways, I'm cold, and it's about time for Nekokichi's dinner, so I'll just see you all tomorrow. Let's go, Nekokichi." She picked up Nekokichi and started to walk away.

"A—are you sure you'll be okay walking home alone, Miki-san?" Takane asked, a slight look of concern on her face.

"Miki will be fine. Miki's daddy will pick Miki up," Miki said, smiling.

"Okay. Well, goodnight, Miki-san," Takane said, leaving.

Miki sighed happily as she dialed her father's phone number. _Even if he says it's not a date, well… _Miki thought, giggling to herself. _Miki can't wait for 12:00!_

~CHAPTER 2 – END~

© 2010 Ikuto-sama


	3. Chapter 3

-Kuroi Romance – Chapter 3-

By Ikuto-sama

"Beautiful, Miki, beautiful! Just one more shot, Miss Hoshii. We're almost done here."

Miki wanted to sigh, but her mouth was frozen in a smile. She wore a slightly-skimpy but still appropriate white bikini and had her long blonde hair tied up in a side-ponytail with a stream of red and white flowers, while holding a red-and-white beach ball in one hand and a can of Gekiochi-kun Cola in the other. She was standing on a flat of white sand in front of a tropical beach background. A photo shoot. The best shot would go up in Akihabara on an 80-foot billboard by the train station for all to see. Producer-san had said that this was a great opportunity for more publicity and would give them an edge against Project Jupiter, but Miki was tired of it already. The photo studio was freezing for one, and the photographer had said _"Just one more shot!" _at least twenty times. It was also nearing 12 o'clock—it was 11:15 at the moment.

_Miki needs to go. Miki can't keep Touma-kun waiting. Imagine how angry he'd be! _Miki thought, shuddering. _Besides, Miki doesn't even like Gekiochi-kun Cola!_

"Perfect, perfect!" the photographer cried. "I think _this_ shot concludes the shoot!"

Miki sighed in relief, then remembered she had to remain polite, no matter how taxing some promotions were.

"Thank you so much! Miki was honored to be chosen for the billboard," Miki said graciously, bowing.

"No, thank _you, _my dear," the photographer laughed. "We might just call you back again for a commercial next time. Stay beautiful!"

Producer-san finally came out from his hiding place in a corner where he had been quietly watching. Miki wasn't as high-maintenance when it came to swimsuit shoots, unlike Azusa or Yukiho, and all he had to do this time was occasionally shout out words of encouragement while sipping a complementary can of Gekiochi-kun Cola he had received.

"Nice job, Miki!" Producer-san said smiling, putting his arm around Miki.

"Thank you, Honey," Miki yawned.

"I hope you don't mind, but I scheduled another dance lesson and a vocal lesson for later today," Producer-san said. "I know you're tired, but you know it's necessary to keep in top shape for the Idol Ultimate. It's only 6 days away."

"Miki knows…" Miki sighed.

_No! Miki is meeting Touma-kun in less than an hour! _A voice in Miki's head screamed. _Tell Honey Miki can't! Tell Honey Miki already made other plans!_

Miki swallowed and took a deep breath. "Honey, Miki wanted to ask you—"

"Oh dear, Miki, you must be cold! I need a fashion assistant over here, please!" Producer-san unknowingly interrupted Miki, motioning for a group of assistants to come over.

"Wait, Honey, I—" Just then, Producer-san's cell phone began to ring.

"Hello? This is the producer from 765—sorry, Miki. I'll talk to you later. It's an important phone call," Producer-san said, flustered. "Ah, hello? Yes, I'm Miki Hoshii's producer…"

Miki sighed and shook her head as one of the assistants draped a bathrobe over her and whisked her away into the dressing room. _Honey seems…different now, _Miki thought sadly. _Miki thought Miki loved Honey, but now…Miki doesn't even know anymore…_

"Miki-chan, would you like to wear the outfit you came in? Or would you rather pick something else?" one of the assistants chimed.

"Ah…Miki would like to maybe try something different," Miki said. That was one of the perks of being an idol—a nearly unlimited choice of clothes and accessories. Every time she completed a promotion, passed an audition, or won an Idol Ultimate, she often got gifts—today, the Gekiochi-kun Cola Company had given her the swimsuit she had worn and a few extra accessories, along with two cases of Gekiochi-kun Cola. Even fans would send her outfits or accessories from time to time. Miki tried to make a quick choice for she didn't have time to be picky, and finally settled on a ¾-sleeve light blue plaid flannel shirt with blue-jean cutoffs and tan cowboy boots. She debated whether to keep her hair up or down, and decided to tie it up in a side ponytail again, securing it with a matching blue butterfly clip. It was cute and casual without being _too_ much.

"Are you sure, Miki-chan? You'll be having two lessons taking place later today. Wouldn't you prefer something more comfortable?" an assistant asked.

"No, it's okay. Miki likes it," Miki said, smiling. "Miki's meeting someone special today, so Miki wanted to look nice." She blushed slightly.

"Well it's up to you, Miki-chan. The Producer is waiting for you right outside now. You're free to go."

Miki nodded and thanked the dressing assistants, then skipped outside. Producer-san took her hand a little roughly and Miki flinched. He led her outside and they got into a plain black car owned by 765 Productions. Producer-san said nothing and had a distant look on his face, as if he were thinking hard about something grim. Miki kept her gaze lowered, occasionally glancing up at him, but remained silent until they reached the production building.

"Um, Honey, I've been wanting to ask you about something," Miki finally said as they got out of the car. Producer-san didn't answer.

"Honey, are you okay?" Miki asked quietly, concerned. _Honey didn't seem happy to begin with today, and after the photo shoot, he seems worse, _Miki thought. _Perhaps it was the phone call? Or is it…Miki?_

"Oh, Miki!" Producer-san gasped, snapping back into reality. "I'm sorry about that. I was just thinking about things…I'm pretty tired myself, actually. How about we take a little break? I'll cancel your dance lesson, and you'll have a couple of hours to rest. As for me, I'll work a little with a few of the other idols. Is that okay with you?"

"Oh no, it's perfect!" Miki beamed. "Miki was going to ask if it was okay to meet up with a friend, anyways. Thank you, Honey!" Miki waved and took off down the street towards the café Touma told her to be at. It was 11:50, so she'd be right on time.

_Everything worked out for Miki after all! _Miki thought happily. _Miki thinks that there may be some hope for Miki after all…_

"You're late." A pair of brown cold eyes stared hard at Miki, eyebrows furrowed in frustration. Those eyes could only belong to one person—the one and only Touma Amagase.

"But it's only 11:55! Touma-kun told Miki to meet him here at 12 o'clock. And Miki is here five minutes early!" Miki whined, waving her hands in the air. "Besides, Miki just finished with a photo shoot, and Miki had a hard time managing to get a break."

"Whatever you say," Touma sighed, shrugging. "Quit flapping your arms around and sit down already. You're embarrassing me."

Miki held in a sigh and sat in the booth, scanning Touma up and down. He wore a dark green hoodie with navy straight-leg jeans and black Converse high-tops. Miki noticed all of his clothes were a bit too big for him and couldn't help but smile—it was kind of cute.

"What're you laughing at?" Touma asked, frowning.

"Ah! Miki wasn't laughing at anything!" Miki gasped, flustered. "Miki just—"

"Well, it's rude. Not that you 765 fools would know anything about manners," Touma scoffed. "You put on a cute and innocent façade, but deep down you're all the same. Rotten."

Miki felt her heart twinge. First he'd been rude to her, and now he was attacking her agency? Miki absolutely _hated_ it when people insulted Producer-san or her friends. She was ready to put Touma in his place, but figured it was best to reply calmly.

"Why must you be so mean to Miki? If you don't like Miki, why'd you invite Miki here?" Miki asked, shaking her head.

Touma hesitated for a second. His eyebrows furrowed in slight frustration, as if he were trying to remember something important, then his face softened.

"I'm sorry, Miki-chan. I've just had a bad day today," he replied softly. "Now, would you like to order something? I'll call over a waitress." He smiled one of the sweetest smiles Miki had ever seen in her life.

Miki's eyes widened in surprise. _Miki didn't even think Touma-kun was capable of smiling, _she thought. _All of a sudden he's turned nice!_

Touma motioned for a waitress to come over. As soon as she saw who they were her mouth fell open.

"Is—is it really you? Touma Amagase from Project Jupiter? Kya! Amagase-sama, I'm your _biggest _fan!" the young aproned woman, who looked to be only a bit older than Miki and Touma, gasped. "And Miki Hoshii-san too! Oh my goodness! Can I get your autogr—I'm sorry. You two probably want to order something, don't you?"

"Miki would like three onigiri and some royal milk tea, please," Miki said, blushing slightly.

"Just cream soda for me," Touma laughed. "Thank you."

"Of course. Your order will be ready in a minute," the waitress chimed, beaming. She skipped off towards the kitchen.

_Touma-kun sure is an interesting person… _Miki thought. She kept her gaze lowered, occasionally glancing at him. She wasn't sure if she should look him in the eyes or not; it'd probably make him mad if she stared at him. Touma brought out a dark green flip phone and sent out a quick text, then put it back in his pocket.

"So…Miki-chan…why did you decide to switch from 765 to 961 and then back again?" Touma asked, breaking the silence.

Miki's eyes widened in surprise. It wasn't that she minded answering the question, it was just the fact that _Touma_ was asking about it.

_Touma-kun is Miki's rival…Miki can't disclose too much information or it could hurt 765, _Miki thought, alarmed.

"I'm sorry. Is that too personal?" Touma asked, a slight look of concern on his face. Miki blushed. He actually looked caring and nice for once, not the typical cold face he wore.

"No, of course not. Miki just…well, Miki switched from 765 to 961 because Miki felt like Miki wasn't being treated very well. Miki didn't feel appreciated," Miki said. "And Miki worked for 961 for a while, and met Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan, and Miki was a part of Project Fairy. But when Project Fairy was beaten in an important Idol Ultimate against 765, Miki was fired, and Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan were too. But Hon—Miki means, _Producer_-san was nice enough to re-hire Miki and hire Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan, and now Miki is a part of 765 again."

"Interesting," Touma said, nodding. "Did you like Kuroi-Shachou?"

"Kuroi-Shachou…was nice to Miki. Miki liked him," Miki lied, feeling her heart twinge at the horrible memories she had of Kuroi. She would do _anything _to avoid reliving the numerous times Kuroi had verbally abused and sexually harassed her, Takane, and Hibiki. He would always feign kindness towards them then suddenly lash out, as if he were a different person.

_Kind of…kind of like what Touma-kun is doing right now, _Miki thought, her heart sinking. _Soon enough Touma-kun will act mean again—wait, what is Miki thinking? Touma-kun isn't like that, right?_

"I see. Are you sure—"

"Look, Mami! Mikimiki is here too!" a familiar shrill voice filled the air, interrupting Touma before he could ask another question.

"Ami-chan! Mami-chan!" Miki gasped in relief, running over and embracing the twins. It had been awhile since she had seen Ami and Mami, and both had grown up so much in a year—she almost couldn't recognize the two girls, both now thirteen-years-old. They both wore matching yellow long-sleeved tops with mint green vests, jean shorts, and sneakers, and had their hair tied up in side ponytails, with Ami's hair tied to the right and Mami's to the left.

"Mikimiki! Ami and Mami haven't seen Mikimiki in so long, they were worried Mikimiki had joined 961pro again!" Mami shouted.

"You two have grown since Miki last saw you," Miki laughed. "You're the same height as Miki now!"

"Ahem," Touma cleared his throat as his face turned back into a scowl, motioning toward the drinks and Miki's onigiri that had just been delivered to the table. "I think this pre-school reunion is _done. _You better hurry up and get back here, Miki."

"Ah! Miki is sorry to have kept Touma-kun waiting!" Miki exclaimed, running over and sitting back in the booth.

"Ami and Mami will sit with you guys!" Ami cheered, clapping her hands together. The twins squeezed into the booth, Ami sitting next to Miki and Mami sitting across next to Touma.

"Mami, your hair is longer," Miki said, smiling.

"Ah, Mami decided it was best to look different from Ami, especially since Ami is working for Ricchan now," Mami said. "But people _still _mix Ami and Mami up. Can you believe it?"

"_Hoshii-san_, tell these _kids _to leave," Touma spat. "This is supposed to be our da—_private meeting._"

_Touma-kun must be really mad since he's stopped calling Miki 'Miki,' _Miki thought, concerned. _Touma-kun must not like Ami and Mami. But Ami and Mami are Miki's friends!_

"Ami and Mami are _not _kids!" Ami snapped. "Ami and Mami are thirteen-years-old now, for your information!"

"_And _Ami and Mami are even taller than Hibikin now!" Mami added, shaking her head. "Mikimiki, tell this mean Onii-chan to leave!"

"I never said this was a field trip, Hoshii-san," Touma said sourly, frowning. "You better tell _Ami and Mami _to leave, or I'm leaving."

"Ah...Ami, Mami, Miki will take you out for ice cream later when Miki and Touma are done," Miki said weakly.

"But Ami and Mami won't have a break later," the twins sighed in unison, the same crestfallen look on their faces.

"Hey, brown-haired Onii-chan, Ami and Mami promise to be really good and quiet if you let Ami and Mami stay," Mami said softly.

Touma opened his mouth as if he were about to shout, then his face softened again. "Um…Ami-chan, Mami-chan, you see…your friend Miki-chan and I are on…a _date,_" he said. "So we'd kind of like some privacy, if you don't mind…"

Ami and Mami stared at Touma for a second, then glanced at Miki, stunned looks on their faces.

"A…_date?"_ Mami gasped.

"Whoa…Ami and Mami will tell Nii-chan that you were _cheating on him!_" Ami exclaimed. "Come on, Mami! We gotta tell everyone that Miki has a boyfriend now!" She sprang out of the booth, pulling Mami out with her.

"Wait—Miki doesn't—" Miki tried to say, but Touma interrupted her.

"Exactly. So Miki-chan and I would like to spend some time _alone _please," Touma said.

"Ufufu…Ami thinks she knows what the brown-haired Onii-chan means by 'time alone.' Mami was watching TV once, and Ami caught Mami watching—"

"Ami! You're not supposed to tell anyone!"

Miki's face had reached a bright shade of beet by now. "A—Ami, Mami, M—Miki will see you later!" Miki struggled to say, feeling dizzy, thoughts of "time alone" with Touma filling her head.

"Bye-bye, Mikimiki!" Mami said, waving, as the twins dashed out the door.

"And also, Mikimiki, remember that you owe us ice cream!" Ami added.

As soon as the twins were out of sight, Touma dropped the boyfriend act.

"Oh, thank _god,_" he sighed, taking a sip of cream soda. "I thought those children would never leave. I felt like I was going to be sick. I mean, really, do _all_ of you 765 idiots talk in third-person?"

"Miki is…sorry," Miki whispered, looking down. "Miki didn't mean for—"

"I'll let it slide _this _time," Touma said. "And don't get it into your head that this is a date or anything. I mean, I'd rather go out with a _dog_ than you."

That insult stabbed Miki right in the heart.

"H—how can you be so—so _mean_?" Miki shouted, slamming her fists against the table as she got up. "Miki's been trying to ignore it. Miki kept thinking that Touma-kun was a nice person, that Touma-kun would change. And yet, Touma-kun fools Miki again and again, putting on a nice façade then suddenly insulting Miki and Miki's friends. Miki—Miki can't _believe _you!"

_Miki's not going to take it anymore, _Miki thought angrily. _Miki can't be in love with a person like this!_

"Miki-chan—"

"Don't you _dare _call Miki 'Miki-chan!'" Miki snarled, throwing her onigiri in Touma's face. She had lost her appetite now. Without saying another word, she stormed out the door.

"Miki-chan, wait!" Touma called.

Miki only ran down the street faster, tears stinging her eyes. She could hear footsteps coming up quickly behind her, but she refused to look back.

_Miki can't be in love with a person like this, _she thought, fighting back tears. _Miki mustn't cry, either. It's not as if Touma-kun…loves Miki…_

"Miki…wait…" Touma panted. Miki felt two strong arms wrap around her, trapping her from moving on.

"Miki is going—back to the 765pro building now!" Miki shouted as she struggled to escape Touma's grip. "Just—leave Miki alone!"

"Miki, I'm sorry for all that I've done to you," Touma said, turning Miki to face him. "And I'm sorry for what I'm about to do next."

"Touma-ku—" Touma leaned in slightly and Miki suddenly felt the soft touch of his lips, met in a kiss. And for some reason…her body refused to push him away. It felt…_good._

"I'm sorry," Touma whispered, smiling. "You can go back to 765pro now. But still…this isn't _love _or anything, so don't you even think that I'm going to go easy on you."

"Miki thinks you're…evil," Miki snapped, turning her head away. Her face burned in embarrassment, and her heart felt as if it was going to leap out of her chest. She could hear a small voice deep in her mind screaming _'again, again!'_

_Did Miki really do that? _Miki thought, stunned. She was speechless.

_"Daisuki HANII –__ Ichigo mitai ni—__ Junjou nano—__Zutto mitete zettai yo! __"_

Touma gasped and whipped out his cell phone, scowling. "Hello? Goddammit you, why'd you have to call now! She likes fricking _onigiri, _dammit, so we'll use that. Just—you know what, this isn't a good time. Bye!"

"Furu Furu…Future?" Miki giggled. "That's Touma-kun's…ringtone?"

"Just shut up and go back to 765pro," Touma snapped, blushing.

"But that's _Miki's _song—" Miki burst out laughing.

"Argh! You know what? I'm leaving. Goodbye," Touma spat, turning around and storming off in the other direction. "And remember, that kiss doesn't mean _anything_!"

"Bye-bye, Touma-kun!" Miki called, waving.

_Touma-kun may be mean, but he sure is funny sometimes, _she thought, giggling. _Furu Furu Future…one of Miki's songs…really?_

Miki skipped all the way back to the 765 Productions feeling warm inside, humming the song along the way. She was going to beat Touma in the Idol Ultimate, no matter what. He was her rival and always would be, and even if he was mean, she still wanted to learn more about him. But that kiss…what in the world did it _mean_?

~KUROI ROMANCE CHAPTER 3 – END~

© 2011 Ikuto-sama


	4. Chapter 4

-Kuroi Romance Chapter 4-

By Ikuto-sama

Miki collapsed on her bed, sighing in exhaustion. It had been a ridiculously long day, but the _big _day…was tomorrow.

_Miki wonders what it'll be like tomorrow, _Miki thought wistfully as she squeezed her soft onigiri-shaped pillow.

Touma hadn't called or even texted since their "meeting"—well, Miki wasn't quite sure what to call it—and that had been almost a week ago. Miki had given up on him.

_Touma-kun is just weird, _Miki thought, shaking her head. _Miki just doesn't know about him…_

"Miki-chan, dinner's ready!" Miki's mother shouted.

"Nn…coming!" Miki called, although she couldn't even bring herself to sit up, let alone head downstairs. She just wanted to sleep. The past week had been incredibly busy, packed with lessons, show appearances, special promotion and even a couple of auditions. If there was an "Idol-With-The-Most-Hectic-Schedule" award, Miki would win hands-down.

"Miki-chan! Your food will get cold!" Miki's mother called.

"Ah…Miki will eat later, Mom!" Miki replied, slightly irritated.

_Pi pi pi! _Miki reached over lazily and grabbed her buzzing cell phone.

"Huh? Miki got a text from…Haruka-chan?" Miki yawned. "Miki wonders what Haruka-chan wants…"

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amami Haruka_

_Subject: Good luck!_

_Good luck tomorrow, Miki-chan! We'll all be cheering for you!_

_Haruka_

_PS: Don't accept food from strangers._

"'Don't accept food from strangers?'" Miki laughed. "Haruka-chan sure is funny…"

_Pi pi pi!_

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amami Haruka_

_What is your relationship with Amagase-san?_

_Haruka_

Miki's eyes widened in surprise. _What does Haruka-chan know about Touma-kun and Miki? _Miki thought, alarmed.

_To: Amami Haruka_

_From: Hoshii Miki_

_Miki thinks Touma-kun is kind of weird. But he's okay. Miki's not quite sure if Miki likes him or not. Why do you ask?_

_- Miki :3_

Miki set her phone down and buried her face in her soft, lime green sheets. Touma. What did she see in him? Why was he so mean? And why did he kiss her? In Miki's mind, Touma could be described in one four-letter word that she didn't dare say—but she knew that deep down, he was a good person. But he was still her rival, and she had to beat him tomorrow. Not just for herself, but for all of the people she cared about, including Haruka. So why did she feel so…_weird _about it?

_Every time Miki thinks about Touma-kun, Miki feels funny inside, _Miki thought. _Does Miki like Touma-kun? Or does Miki not like him? Not like, not hate, but…_

_ Pi pi pi! _Before Miki could finish that thought, she was interrupted by the beeping of her phone.

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amami Haruka_

_Well, you should stay away from him. Producer-san wanted me to tell you, is all. But really, I wouldn't talk to any of those 961 guys either. Kuroi-san might be telling them to do things. And personally, I…never mind._

_Anyways, good luck! (^o^)_

_Haruka_

_ Maybe Haruka-chan is right. Kuroi-san can't be trusted. Even when Miki worked for 961, Kuroi-san told Miki to do things Miki sometimes didn't want to do, _Miki thought, sighing. _Maybe that's why Touma-kun acts so strange sometimes._

_ Pi pi pi! _Miki picked up her phone again, and immediately felt her face grow hot upon seeing the number.

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amagase Touma_

_Subject: Hey, you._

_Good luck…although you're going to lose anyways._

_-Touma_

"What?" Miki gasped, fuming, hammering out a reply. "Miki will _not _lose to a meanie like Touma-kun! Miki will—Miki will—"

"Miki-chan, are you okay up there?" Miki's mother called. "Come and eat dinner!"

"Coming, Mom," Miki sighed.

Tomorrow…would be interesting.

The air at 765 Production was incredibly tense that morning, a rare occurrence at the usually laid-back production company.

"Good luck, Miki-chan," Ms. Kotori said, smiling, as Miki entered the lobby, Producer-san following closely behind.

"Thanks," Miki replied, making an effort to smile back.

Although Miki was the only one performing today, Haruka, Hibiki, and Takane were following in support. The remaining idols were already glued to the TV, although Azusa, Iori, Ami, and newly-minted producer Ritsuko were nowhere to be found.

"Don't worry, Miki-chan, you're the best idol out of all of us," Haruka said warmly, patting Miki on the back. "I'm sure you'll win."

She paused, then whispered, "Just stay away from those guys and don't accept food from anyone else."

"Um…okay," Miki nodded, confused. What was with the food thing?

_Miki hopes Miki can do well, _Miki thought morosely.

"All right, girls, let's get in the car and head out," Producer-san said.

"Good luck, Miki-chan! Go for it!" Yayoi, Yukiho, Makoto, Chihaya, Mami, and Ms. Kotori cheered as the group exited.

"Y—yes! Miki will do Miki's best!" Miki called, flicking her hand away in a pistol shape.

_Miki hopes so, _Miki thought, gazing down, as the car pulled away from the 765pro building.

For some reason, she felt that her fellow idols wouldn't act so friendly when she returned.

"Whoa," Hibiki gasped. "Th—there are more male idols than I thought!"

"This is actually the first co-Idol Ultimate ever," Producer-san said. "Production companies from all over have sent their idols to compete_. Including_ 961."

Although Miki had competed in numerous Idol Ultimates, for some reason she felt out of place. Her lime green 765 Productions warm-up suit stood out too much among the other idols' plainer, more conservative-colored ones. All of the other idols were accompanied by only their producer and sometimes a stylist, while she had an entourage of also-famous idols. There was also an unusual amount of male idols, almost outnumbering the female idols in the room.

Numerous hanging screens scattered around the room buzzed to life, blaring one of Haruka's songs, "I Want." Haruka blushed. She had won the previous Idol Ultimate, and they were re-running her tape while the groups of competing idols were shown on screen.

**ROUND ONE GROUP ONE: **Performing at 11:30am

1. 765 Productions – Hoshii Miki

2. BNG Productions – Kagane Ren

3. 456 Productions – Cute!

4. A&C Angels Productions – Miharu Natsuki

5. 681 Productions – Fukuyama Jun

6. 961 Productions – Amagase Touma

"Looks like we're in the first group," Producer-san said, nodding. "We have an hour and a half until we're due on stage. Let's get you ready, Miki."

Miki headed for the dressing room and quickly got changed. The stylist was late and Miki had no time to wait, so Haruka, Hibiki, and Takane helped do her makeup and fix her hair. Not that it mattered much anyways—Miki was naturally stunning and the judges paid little attention to what the idols wore anyways. Sometimes Miki even competed in her warm-up suit, but today she was expected to look as nice as possible.

"You look cute as always, Miki-chan," Hibiki said, smiling.

"I think we did an even better job than the stylist would have," Takane added.

"Thanks, guys. Miki likes it a lot," Miki said graciously.

Miki had gotten a ton of new outfits made since she was the one who would lead the competition with Jupiter. The outfit she wore now was a springy yellow, green, and white dress with a flower petal-like design. The top was white with green straps and cut off into a yellow, flared, piece-y skirt, made to look like tropical flower petals. With it she wore a white beaded necklace and white boots that cut off just below the knee. The outfit reminded Miki of spring; of new flowers waiting to bloom.

"Do you know if you'll be performing Furu Furu Future or Relations today?" Haruka asked quizzically. Furu Furu Future and Relations were Miki's default songs for competitions.

"No," Miki giggled, remembering Touma's ringtone. She immediately stopped, realizing her mistake, and tried to block him from her mind. She didn't want to think about him today.

"Is it…Overmaster?" Takane asked softly.

"No, of course not. Honey would never let Miki," Miki replied. "Miki will be performing 'Day of the Future.'"

"A new song?" Hibiki asked, cocking her head to the side.

"Yes. Miki's new song will debut today," Miki yawned. "Afu! Miki is sorry. Anyways, Honey told Miki this is Miki's new song for competitions, and Miki will be performing it instead of Furu Furu Future or Relations. Honey says it will wow the judges much more than Alice or Guilty."

"Cool. Well, we can't wait to hear it, Miki," Hibiki said. Just then, Producer-san popped in.

"Miki, they've requested for all the idols to report to the lobby," Producer-san said. "Haruka, Takane, Hibiki, you all follow along too."

"Okay!" Miki cheered with a burst of enthusiasm, although deep down, she could feel a sense of foreboding welling up in the pit of her stomach.

Miki felt all eyes turn on her as she entered the lobby, some staring in awe, others glancing and quickly looking away, and one glaring at her with poison. Idols, stylists, producers…and him. His brown almond-shaped eyes glared coldly at her, cutting her up like icy knives.

_If looks could kill, Miki would be dead! _Miki thought, shuddering.

Touma leaned over and whispered something to a tall blonde-haired boy, likely Hokuto, and they started laughing. Miki stuck her tongue out at them, and Touma rolled his eyes.

"Miki, ignore them," Producer-san chided. "We don't want to get Kuroi-san over here, or—"

"Wow, your pitiful production company was actually put into the same group with _my _glorious idol?" a familiar voice sneered. "I give you fools credit for trying, but I hope you realize you won't be going home winning."

"I wouldn't keep my nose up in the air for long, Kuroi-san," Producer-san replied coolly. "You might run into a pole on your way out."

"Humph. Well, well, well, it's been awhile, hasn't it, Miki-chan, Takane-chan, Hibiki-chan? Just think, if you'd have _won _that Idol Ultimate, you might still be with the strong side. If only you hadn't chosen to go soft," Kuroi-san smirked, then motioned toward Haruka. "And you also brought…this one. I never bothered to memorize her name, but I know she's the klutzy one with the obnoxious voice. These girls aren't idols, they're just…_baggage._"

"I'll let you know that moving to 765 Productions was the best decision I've ever made in my life," Hibiki snapped. "And sure, maybe we don't always win, but at least we pour our hearts into what we do."

"And because Miki puts her heart into what she does, Miki will win today. Something Touma-kun and the rest of Project Jupiter doesn't," Miki added.

"_Touma-kun?_" Kuroi cackled. "You dare refer to my superior idol so casually? Pfft, Touma-kun…what are you two, going out or something? Is that why you decided to run down to my production office and make a fool of yourself a few weeks ago?"

"Miki is not—" Miki tried to argue, but Producer-san stopped her.

"Come Miki, let's go grab a bite to eat before you perform," Producer-san said. "You too, Haruka, Takane, Hibiki. We have no time for these people."

"O—okay," Miki nodded, obediently taking the hand of Producer-san and following him out. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw roll his eyes, and she stuck her tongue out again.

"There's a small café right outside of the lobby. I'm not sure what they have, but it should be enough to give you some energy," Producer-san said. "Why don't we—"

"Excuse me," a small voice piped up. Miki and Producer-san turned around to face a young boy who looked to be about fourteen years old, wearing baggy clothing and a hat. Miki could barely see his face, but it looked like he had green hair. He looked slightly familiar, but Miki wasn't sure where she'd seen him before. In his hands he held four wrapped bento boxes.

"Sorry for eavesdropping, but this is for you," the boy said, smiling. "It's just some onigiri, but it's complementary for each idol."

"Ooh, how did you know Miki liked onigiri?" Miki laughed, taking one of the boxes. "Thank you!"

"Here are some for your friends too," the boy said, passing one each to Haruka, Hibiki, and Takane. "Sorry, Mr. Producer, we didn't have enough…"

"Ah, that's okay," Producer-san laughed. "Thank you very much. Miki, Haruka, Hibiki, Takane, I'm going to grab something at the café, so go ahead and find someplace to sit down."

The girls settled on sitting in a corner to eat their lunches. Just as Miki was about to dig in, Haruka stopped her.

"You should take a good look at them first," she said. "You never know, someone could have slipped something into them. That boy seemed a bit shady to me."

"Oh, Haruka-chan, they should be fine," Hibiki said, waving her hand. She was already halfway done with hers. "I mean, my voice doesn't sound raspy and I'm not rolling on the floor dying, so obviously they're okay."

"And the boy said that each of the idols got the same-type lunches. I'm sure they'll be okay," Takane added. "Haven't you started eating yours too, Haruka-san?"

"Oh…yeah," Haruka sighed. She'd already finished one onigiri. "Well, maybe they're okay. But just be careful, Miki-chan."

"Miki will," Miki laughed, remembered how Haruka had constantly told her not to accept food from strangers. Although it wasn't common, sometimes some idols would cheat and give out special food or candies made to clog the other idols' vocal chords so they'd mess up. Luckily, this had never happened to any of the 765 idols, but Haruka was always especially vigilant since she was the one to beat in most competitions.

"Mmm, that was delicious," Miki yawned after they'd finished their meal. "Should we go find Honey? It's 11 o'clock."

_Miki noticed nothing wrong with the onigiri. They were just normal onigiri, _Miki thought. _Heehee. Haruka-chan just worries too much. _

"Ah, Miki! I finally found you!" Just in time, Producer-san came running over. "They've requested for all of the idols to report to backstage. Are you ready?"

"Yes," Miki said, nodding. _Ready as Miki will ever be, _she thought forebodingly.

"I guess that means we'll go sit in the audience to cheer you on," Hibiki said, surrounding Miki in a tight hug. "Crush those stupid guys!"

"We know you'll do well, Miki-san," Takane said softly, joining in.

"Good luck!" Haruka said, managing to wrap herself in the group hug.

"Thanks, guys," Miki said, winking.

"All right, Miki, let's go," Producer-san said.

"See ya!" Miki said, flicking her hand away in a pistol shape.

For some reason, she felt as if she was being whisked away from her friends to be sacrificed into a volcano.

_Miki hopes Miki will do well, _Miki thought. _Miki's song is 'Day of the Future,' but if Miki loses, what future is left?_

"…First, from 765 Productions here in Tokyo, we have…Miss Miki Hoshii!"

"Go for it, Miki!" Producer-san said, giving Miki a gentle pat on the back.

Miki bounded onto the stage, waving at the judges and the audience, and there was a roar of cheers. Although the audience was mainly made up of other idols and producers who would be competing in the later groups, Miki treated them as if they were audience members in a concert. The visual judge smiled at her, examining her up and down, while the dance and vocal judges clapped politely. Producer-san had given her a long pep talk before she was due on stage, telling her that there was no pressure and that even if she lost, it was okay as long as she did her best. However, Miki felt completely the opposite.

_"Miki, you don't need to work. We have plenty of money. You're set for life; just take it easy." _Miki's mother's words replayed in her head again and again. _Although Miki is just an idol for fun, Miki must win otherwise Haruka-chan, Hibiki-chan, Takane-chan, Honey, and the others…they won't be able to realize their dreams, _Miki thought, a surge of confidence pulsing through her. _Miki will be—_

"…And lastly, from 961 Productions, also based in Tokyo, we have…Mr. Touma Amagase!" Before Miki could finish her thought, she was met with deafening cheers for her rival.

_Why? _Miki thought, her heart skipping a beat. _That strange feeling…why does Miki feel it again? It's not as if Miki is afraid of competing with Touma-kun. Touma-kun isn't even wearing anything fancy! But Touma-kun must have a lot of fans for that kind of cheer…_

Miki felt her heart sink as she noticed the judges were clapping much more excitedly than they had when she entered the stage.

"GO MIKI!" Miki heard a familiar voice scream enthusiastically, probably Hibiki.

"First up performing is Miki Hoshii with _'Day of the Future,'_" the announcer said. "At this time, we ask for all other idols to exit the stage."

Miki watched the other idols exit down the stairs leading off of the stage and sit in the front row of the audience with their own producers. Miki glanced over to where Touma, Hokuto, and Kuroi were sitting, along with—the green-haired boy?

_Wait, that must be Shouta-kun, _Miki thought. _He sure looks like the boy who gave me the onigiri, though! _

Kuroi smirked and Miki rolled her eyes, only for the vocal judge to clear her throat, obviously irritated. Miki bowed to the judges and stood in the middle of the stage. The song began to play and she started to dance, trying to impress the judges as much as possible, but all except the visual judge looked unimpressed.

_"Future star ima wa mada michi no yume _

_ Dore dake no sekai ga hirogaru _

_ Future hope kibou to hikari ga tsumugu _

_ Watashi wa sou hashiridasu mirai… _

_ Itsumademo iranai wa _

_ Kowareta kizuna _

_ Atarashii sutaato wo kiru… _

_ Good-bye memories kono omoide _

_ Harukaze mau hidamari no _

_ Kimi to sugoshita miracle _

_ Koeteyuku… _

_ Good-bye daily life itsuka sugiyuku _

_ Omoi no KAKERA tachi _

_ Hashiri tsuzukete iru no wa _

_ Tsuyoku aritsu zukeru tame…__ "_

_Halfway done now, _Miki thought. Much to her surprise, the audience boomed with cheers and the judges were writing comments on their boards—even the grumpy vocal judge was beginning to show a smile. Touma sat there watching, a blank look on his face, while Kuroi frowned.

_"Itsumade mo kagayaku_

_ Hibi no naka de_

_ Mitsukari hajimeru yo_

_ Kimi no koe ga kikoeru…_

_ Good-bye memories kono omoide_

_ Haru kaze mau hidamari no_

_ Kimi to sugo shita miracle_

_ Koete yuku_

_ Good-bye daily life itsuka sugi yuku_

_ Omoi no KAKERA tachi_

_ Hashiri tsuzukete iru no wa_

_ Tsuyoku aritsu—"_

Miki began violently coughing. She felt as if something hard was stuck in her throat. The audience gasped, and out of the corner of her eye—was that Kuroi smirking?

_Oh no! _Miki thought frantically. _Miki can't—why…_

_"Zukeru tame…"_ Miki croaked, trying to finish the song, but the damage was already done. The judges were scribbling notes down on their clipboards, likely not the positive ones they'd been writing earlier. The song finished and the audience clapped politely. Miki bowed, and not even waiting to hear her score, ran off the stage.

"Here's some water," one of the stage workers said, handing Miki a bottle. Miki snatched it and continued to run—anything to get her as far away from the stage as possible.

"Miki! Where are you?" Miki could hear Producer-san calling her, but she didn't dare answer.

"Miki-chan! Miki-chan!" The familiar voices of Takane, Haruka, and Hibiki rang through the air, echoing Producer-san's frantic shouts.

Miki hid in a crawlspace off of one of the hallways that led to backstage.

_Why…what happened? _Miki thought. She tried not to cry, but she could barely see through the tears. _Why…Miki was doing perfectly, but then Miki's throat just felt weird!_

Miki was shaking. She was upset and angry at herself, and had a sinking feeling of what would happen next. What if Producer-san was mad at her? Would she end up coming in last because of her mistake? What would happen to 765pro and all of the other idols? Her friends…they probably had seen her mess up live on television. She could _never _live it down.

"Miki shouldn't have even decided to be an idol in the first place. If Miki hadn't become an idol, none of this would have happened," Miki sobbed softly. "Miki is a failure of an idol. Miki is…Miki is…"

"You're not a failure, Miki."

Miki couldn't believe the voice she was hearing. She looked up slowly and met the face of Touma, the _last _person she wanted to see.

"Wh—what is Touma-kun doing here? Touma-kun should be in the audience, getting ready for his performance," Miki snapped, looking away.

"It was Shouta," Touma said softly. "Shouta's the one who put something in the onigiri that messed up your vocal chords. It almost didn't work, until the end."

"You _asked _him to put something in Miki's onigiri?" Miki asked accusingly, her eyes widening in shock. "Why, Touma-kun, _why?_" She tried to wriggle out so she could strangle Touma, but then remembered she was trying to hide.

"It was Kuroi-Shachou. I had no part in it," Touma replied. "I told one of your friends—is it Haruka-san? The clumsy one, right? She was supposed to warn you."

"She didn't—" Miki stopped, remembering that Haruka had been nagging her to "not accept food from strangers" ever since yesterday. "Wait, Miki's wrong. Haruka-chan did. But she was too subtle about it!"

"Maybe you should have listened to her better," Touma sighed. "Anyways, I'm sorry, but it was all Kuroi-Shachou's idea. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone, but I tried to get Haruka-san to warn you since I wanted a fair match. Kuroi-Shachou plays dirty. He even said it's required I act like an asshole towards you. It's in my contract. That's why last week when we went to the café…I was kind of acting weird. He had a microphone on me, and that's how I learned your favorite food was onigiri, and I told them…"

"It's still your fault," Miki huffed. "Miki might not be able to perform again because of this. If Miki loses the Idol Ultimate…765pro might close down."

"I'm sorry," Touma said.

"Don't be. It's what Kuroi-Shachou has always wanted anyway, right? Miki knows you're happy. Congratulations on crushing Miki's friend's dreams," Miki sighed, burying her face in her hands. "Miki doesn't have any dreams left."

"Miki, I'm sorry," Touma said. "I'll walk you to your dressing room, okay? You're a mess. And besides, this doesn't mean that this is the end of your career. The top three spots will advance, and I'm sure you're one of them." Touma held out his hand, a soft smile on his lips. Miki reluctantly took it.

"Miki doesn't know anymore," Miki said as they started to walk. Touma's hand was surprisingly warm, and it comforted her a bit. "But don't call Miki 'Miki.' Miki doesn't understand why you decide to act so mean to Miki, then all of a sudden nice. It makes no sense. Just make up your mind already."

They walked in silence until they reached the door that said _Hoshii Miki, 765 Productions. _

"See you later, Mi—I mean, _Hoshii-san,_" Touma said, giving a slight wave. Miki didn't even bother to reply.

"Who were you talking to, Miki-chan?" Miki was surprised to see Haruka sitting by the mirror. "I'll call Producer-san and tell him you're back. But who were you talking to?"

"Don't call him yet. Miki wants to be alone for a while," Miki sighed. "And it's none of your business."

"It sounded like a guy," Haruka said. "Was it—"

"Just shut up, Haruka," Miki spat.

"I know you've been talking to him," Haruka continued. "And I think that he l—"

"_Shut up, _Haruka," Miki hissed. "Just…just _leave!_"

"Don't call me 'Haruka.' You could have at least been a bit more polite," Haruka said harshly.

"Well, _you_ could have told Miki that they put something in Miki's food that messed up Miki's voice!" Miki snapped. "But instead, you kept telling Miki 'don't accept food from strangers,' so how was Miki supposed to know? You could have been more specific!"

"Well, maybe it's because _I _should have been competing in the Idol Ultimate instead of you," Haruka smirked. "I wouldn't have made such stupid mistakes. At least I don't eat anything that's thrown at me and I don't fraternize with the enemy."

"What on earth are you talking about? Touma-kun said he told you to tell Miki about the food thing!" Miki shouted. "Or wait—did you _want _Miki to mess up so you could compete in the next Idol Ultimate? Besides, Miki thought Chihaya-chan would—"

"Forget Chihaya, I'm competing next time," Haruka laughed. "Even Chihaya knows that Producer-san will choose me."

"Haruka-chan, Miki thought you were different than this," Miki said, shaking her head. "Why? Miki thought that you…were Miki's _friend._"

"We're both aiming for top idol, Miki-chan. Of course there will be some situations in which we can't treat each other as friends," Haruka said. "And when you stand in the way of a girl in love…I'm just going to have to run you over."

Miki paused. "Wait…in _love?" _she asked quizzically.

"I know you like Touma-san," Haruka said, her voice lowering. "But guess what? I do too."

~KUROI ROMANCE CHAPTER 4 – END~

© 2011 Ikuto-sama


	5. Chapter 5

-Kuroi Romance Chapter 5-

By Ikuto-sama

"I know you like Touma-san. But guess what? So do I."

Miki felt as if a bomb had been dropped in the room. She couldn't believe what she was hearing.

_Haruka…likes Touma-kun? _Miki thought furiously. _And she sees Miki as a rival?_

"Leave," Miki said icily, pointing to the door.

"No," Haruka replied, shaking her head.

"Just leave Miki alone! Can't you tell that Miki doesn't want you around?" Miki screamed, throwing a hairbrush at Haruka, narrowly missing her face.

"Fine, Miki," Haruka snapped, turning to leave. "If you want me to leave so badly, I'll leave."

"Don't call Miki 'Miki!'" The door slammed shut. Miki quickly went over and locked it so no one else could come in.

_Miki doesn't want to be in this competition anymore, _Miki thought, burying her face in her hands as she sunk into a chair. _Miki should just quit being an idol._

Miki felt something hard underneath her and realized it was the remote, just as the TV switched on. The screen displayed the names and placements of the idols in the first group of the competition and who would advance—the group Miki had competed in.

**ROUND ONE GROUP ONE FINAL:**

1st: 961 Productions – Amagase Touma – _Advancing to ROUND TWO_

2nd: BNG Productions – Kagane Ren – _Advancing to ROUND TWO_

3rd: 765 Productions – Hoshii Miki – _Advancing to ROUND TWO_

4th: A&C Angels Productions – Miharu Natsuki

5th: 456 Productions – Cute!

6th: 681 Productions – Fukuyama Jun

"Miki _just_ made it…" Miki sighed. She had a feeling of half-relief, since she knew Producer-san and the others would be happy, but she didn't want to deal with Touma _or_ Haruka anymore.

"Miki? Are you in there?" There was a knock on the door. The voice was, undoubtedly, Producer-san. Miki made her best effort to stay still and not make any noise, but the TV gave her away.

"Miki, I know you're in there," Producer-san said. "Please let me in."

"Leave Miki alone," Miki said, turning the TV off.

"Miki, please. I won't leave until you open the door," Producer-san replied, jiggling the door handle.

"Fine," Miki sighed. She got up and unlocked the door, then sat back down.

"Congratulations, Miki. You made it to the second round," Producer-san said, smiling.

"Barely," Miki said morosely.

"Haruka-chan was crying when I saw her. She looked really upset. What happened?" Producer-san asked, a concerned look on his face.

"Haruka only cares about herself," Miki spat. "She's only here so she can flirt with Touma-kun."

"Miki, what are you—_flirting?_" Producer-san asked quizzically.

"She considers Miki a rival now. Miki told her to leave Miki alone, and she got mad," Miki said simply.

"Miki, do you like Amagase-san?" Producer-san asked.

Miki stared down at the floor. _Does Miki? _Miki thought. _Miki's so confused…_

"Miki's…not sure," Miki sighed. "But Haruka doesn't need to be so mean to Miki all of a sudden."

"She shouldn't be mean to you," Producer-san said. "But still….I wouldn't recommend building a close relationship with your rival, especially at a critical time like this."

"But Miki never said she was in love—" Miki started, but Producer-san stopped her.

"What Haruka-chan said _still_ angered you, and it seems you want to fight back," Producer-san said. "I've seen you talk to Amagase-san sometimes as well, and I got a bit of a flirty vibe…"

"It annoyed Miki, that's all!" Miki gasped, flustered. "Miki has never seen Haruka act this way, so Miki was surprised. It's not as if Miki is in _love _with Touma-kun or anything. Miki and Touma-kun only talk on a professional level."

"I see," Producer-san nodded, although he still looked doubtful. "Well, just make sure it doesn't get to you during the competition. Be sure to drink lots of water for your voice. I'll leave you alone for awhile so you can rest."

"Thanks, Producer-san," Miki sighed.

"Huh?" Producer-san asked, stopping in the middle of the doorway.

"Oh, Miki meant to say Honey," Miki quickly corrected herself.

"It's fine," Producer-san said, giving a slight wave before shutting the door.

Miki sighed. It was going to be a long day.

Miki easily placed 2nd in the second round of the competition, making a few small mistakes but nothing major like in the first round.

"Haruka-chan went home," Hibiki said. "I wonder why?"

Miki couldn't help but feel glad that Haruka had decided to go home. Now that she was in the final round of the competition, she didn't need two people around to irritate or pressure her. Touma was already enough.

"Haruka-chan said she wasn't feeling well," Producer-san said, glancing at Miki. Miki frowned. Now Producer-san was started to irritate her too.

Miki yawned and spotted one of the TV screens that listed the idols she'd be competing against.

**IDOL ULTIMATE FINAL ROUND – **Performing at 5:30pm

1. 961 Productions – Amagase Touma

2. 765 Productions – Hoshii Miki

3. BNG Productions – Kagane Ren

4. 816 Productions – Yumiko

5. 206 Productions - KiraKira

6. ARC Angels – 10chan

"Are you feeling better, Miki-san?" Takane asked, a look of concern on her face. "Nothing seemed to bother you in the second round, but I wonder what happened in the first round?"

"A little bird told Miki that those onigiri had something in them to mess up Miki's voice," Miki said sarcastically. "It was too bad that bird told Miki a bit too late."

"Who told you this?" Hibiki asked.

"Apparently Touma-kun told Haruka to tell Miki about it, but Haruka never did," Miki spat. "If Haruka had told Miki in time, Miki wouldn't have accepted the onigiri. But Haruka likes Touma-kun too much."

"Haruka-chan _likes—_" Takane and Hibiki started, but Producer-san stopped them.

"Miki," Producer-san chided. "That's enough."

"Miki thinks Takane-chan and Hibiki-chan deserve to know," Miki snapped.

"Miki, I said that's _enough,_" Producer-san replied. "Takane-chan, Hibiki-chan, let's drop the subject. Let's find somewhere to sit down, shall we?"

Miki reluctantly followed Producer-san to a group of benches in the corner. She made sure to seat herself between Takane and Hibiki, and a long silence ensued.

"Well," Hibiki said. "This is awkward."

"It's okay," Miki sighed. "Miki's not mad at you guys. But…"

"But you're mad at me?" Producer-san asked.

"Miki is mad at Miki," Miki muttered, shaking her head. "Honey…Miki wants to go home."

"But Miki, you'll be competing in 20 minutes, so you might as well stay," Producer-san said. "765pro is depending on you."

"Well, maybe people should stop depending on Miki anymore, since Miki is useless," Miki snapped. "Why don't you ask _Haruka _to do it?"

"Miki, you know it's illegal to switch out competitors unless an idol gets injured or falls ill," Producer-san said. "I know you're not in a good mood today, but it's just one more round, okay? The next Idol Ultimate, I'll ask Haruka-chan to compete. Or if it's a unit competition, I might have Makoto-san, Azusa-san, and Takane-san compete instead of you, Haruka-chan, and Chihaya-chan."

"You're a better vocalist than Haruka-chan, anyways," Hibiki added. "Maybe the next unit Idol Ultimate, Takane-chan and I will perform with you too."

"I'm sorry, but I already told you guys that we can't revive Project Fairy," Producer-san said. "You all sound wonderful as a unit, and I'm sure the idea would be well-received by the fans, but who knows what Kuroi-san would think…"

"But Producer-san, you always talk about unity, you know," Takane replied. "Maybe if we reformed Project Fairy, we could beat Project Jupiter. We have more power as a group than as one and we've all worked under Kuroi-san, and by forming an idol unit, there would be more fans backing us. I believe it's worth a try. And Miki-san might feel more comfortable competing if she's with her friends."

"Takane-chan has a point. Miki was hoping that we could reform Project Fairy one day, only that it would be 765pro's Project Fairy," Miki said, smiling. "Then Miki could perform better, we could beat Project Jupiter, and everyone would be happy, right?"

Producer-san paused for a moment, in deep thought, then finally said, "No."

"But Honey—"

"I can't. Shachou would never agree to it, and I just don't feel it's a good idea," Producer-san sighed, shaking his head. "I'm sorry to disappoint you all, but no."

"Producer-san…"

"All Idol Ultimate finalists and their producers are requested to report to backstage now," the intercom blared.

"Come on, Miki, let's go," Producer-san said, getting up. "Takane-chan, Hibiki-chan, I'll meet you two in the audience, okay?"

Miki contemplated the idea of protesting Producer-san's choice and withdrawing from the competition, but Takane and Hibiki had already gotten up. Producer-san extended a hand toward her.

"O—okay," Miki said softly, looking down. She got up and walked away, leaving Producer-san behind.

_If Miki has no choice but to beat Jupiter on her own, then Miki doesn't need a producer either, _Miki thought angrily. _Unless…maybe Miki could find a new producer for Project Fairy?_

"_Good-bye memories kono omoide_

_ Haru kaze mau hidamari no_

_ Kimi to sugo shita miracle_

_ Koete yuku_

_ Good-bye daily life itsuka sugi yuku_

_ Omoi no KAKERA tachi_

_ Hashiri tsuzukete iru no wa_

_ Tsuyoku aritsu zukeru tame...__"_

"And the winner of today's Idol Ultimate, with a perfect 30 out of 30 points is…Mr. Touma Amagase, from 961 Productions!"

The crowd erupted in raucous cheers as Touma took center-stage and bowed. Miki clapped politely, but deep down, she felt disappointed. She knew that Touma would win, but she had put on her best performance in the last round that _she _thought warranted a perfect 30 out of 30 points too.

_ And now that Miki has lost…what will happen to 765pro? _Miki thought, crestfallen. She glanced around and spotted Producer-san, Takane, and Hibiki in the audience. They all were cheering in courtesy, but the looks on their faces were those of disappointment too.

_ Miki told you, _Miki thought, as if she were talking to Producer-san. _Miki told you that you should have had Haruka or Chihaya compete instead of Miki. Of course Miki would lose to Touma-kun. It was just too much for Miki…_

"Ah, what's this? It seems there was a mistake with the judges' scores," the announcer said. "Today's Idol Ultimate has actually resulted in a tie. The winners, both with perfect scores of 30 out of 30, are Mr. Touma Amagase from 961 Productions _and _Miss Miki Hoshii from 765 Productions!"

Miki gasped in surprise as the crowd cheered even louder, and bounded over to where the announcer was and took the microphone. "Thank you, everyone! Miki's so happy!"

Both Miki and Touma were awarded small trophies; of which Miki had plenty of at the 765pro office from past wins, and all of the idols were quickly ushered off stage. Usually the audience stayed seated a bit longer to watch a tape of the winning idol's, or in this case, _idols', _performance; but when Miki got back to her dressing room, Takane, Hibiki, and Producer-san were already waiting outside the door.

"Congratulations, Miki!" Producer-san cheered. "See? You were able to compete just fine. Nice job bouncing back after what happened in the first round!"

"Thank you, everyone," Miki said graciously. "Miki is going to get changed, so Miki will be out in a minute, okay?"

Miki gently shut the door behind her and pulled out her phone.

_I bet Haruka will—_Her phone rang before she could finish her thought.

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amami Haruka_

_Subject: Congrats_

_You were just lucky._

_-Haruka_

_To: Amami Haruka_

_From: Hoshii Miki_

_Subject: Congrats_

_Miki thinks you're starting to sound like Touma-kun. You're the one who's lucky—if Miki hadn't won, you might have been out of a job. Miki doesn't feel like fighting right now, so don't text Miki. _

_- Miki _

Miki slammed her phone shut and threw it into her purse, along with the Idol Ultimate trophy. She was happy that she had managed to win when she was so close to losing, but still somehow didn't feel satisfied. Idol Ultimates rarely ended in ties, and Touma had put on a better performance than her, although only by a little. It was as if someone had _fixed _the results so Miki would tie with him…

Just as Miki had finished dressing back into her street clothes, her phone rang again.

_To: Hoshii Miki_

_From: Amami Haruka_

_Subject: Congrats_

_At least I don't cheat by attempting to seduce my rivals. _

_- Haruka_

Miki snatched the Idol Ultimate trophy out of her purse and tossed it into the garbage.

"I'm ready to go, Honey."

"Congratulations, Miki-chan!"

"You did awesome, Miki-chan!"

"We watched the whole thing on TV! It was amazing how you bounced back from the first round! That Amagase guy wasn't that great, anyways…"

"Nice job, Miki-chan!"

Miki was engulfed with praises upon returning to the 765pro office, although she felt that she didn't deserve them. Takane and Hibiki had decided to go home, and Producer-san had gone upstairs to meet with Shachou. Much to Miki's relief, Haruka was nowhere to be found.

"Is Ritsuko-san still here?" Miki asked.

"Ah, she's upstairs in one of the conference rooms right now. In fact, I'll message her telling her you're on your way up," Ms. Kotori said, smiling. "By the way, congratulations on your win, Miki-chan! I can take the trophy and put it away if you want—although you have so many already, there's not much point in keeping them now…"

"Oh, Miki took it home already," Miki lied, trying to sound cheerful. "Thank you!"

Miki headed upstairs. She grabbed the doorknob to the conference room, but just as she was about to open it, she stopped herself.

_Does Miki really want to do this? _Miki thought. _Ritsuko-san might say no, and she's already pretty busy nowadays…but Honey will never listen to Miki. Ritsuko-san is Miki's last hope…_

Miki took a deep breath and cautiously opened the door. She _had_ to do it. "Um, Ritsuko-san? It's Miki."

"Ah, Miki-chan. Kotori told me you were coming up," Ritsuko said, smiling, as she got up from her desk. "Did you need something?"

"Well, Miki wanted to ask you something. Miki knows that it might seem unreasonable, since Ritsuko-san became a producer only recently and has been working with Azusa-san, Ami-chan, and Deko-chan, but it would be really nice if Ritsuko-san could help Miki," Miki said softly, getting down on her knees.

"What is it, Miki-chan?" Ritsuko-san asked, her voice tinted with concern.

"Miki has been thinking that the only way to beat Project Jupiter is to reform Project Fairy," Miki said. "But Honey refuses to let Miki, Takane-chan, and Hibiki-chan form an idol unit together. Miki asked over and over again, trying to convince Honey, but Honey still said no every time. Then Miki realized that maybe Ritsuko-san could do something."

"You want _me _to talk to Producer-san about it?" Ritsuko asked. "I don't see anything wrong in you, Takane-san, and Hibiki-san forming an idol unit together—I actually think it would be a _great_ idea. However, I don't see how me talking to him would change his mind, Miki-chan."

"Miki actually wants to ask Ritsuko-san something different," Miki said, bowing lower. "Ritsuko-san…would you become our producer?"

~KUROI ROMANCE CHAPTER 5 – END~

© 2011 Ikuto-sama


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